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The House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital | 
 enlarge | Author: Samuel Shem
Publisher: Dell
Category: Book
List Price: $13.00
Buy New: $6.96
You Save: $6.04 (46%)
New (46) Used (28) from $6.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 3998
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385337388
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385337380
ASIN: 0385337388
Publication Date: July 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: New!
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Product Description
Now a classic! The hilariousnovel of the healing arts that reveals everything yourdoctor never wanted you to know. Six eager interns-- they saw themselves as modern saviors-to-be.They came from the top of their medical school classto the bottom of the hospital staff to serve ayear in the time-honored tradition, racing to answerthe flash of on-duty call lights and nubilenurses. But only the Fat Man --the Clam, all-knowingresident -- could sustain them in their struggle tosurvive, to stay sane, to love-and even to bedoctors when their harrowing year was done.
From the Paperback edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 134 more reviews...
 Deserves more than 5 stars September 3, 2008
I first read this when it had just come out. I had been living in Canada and had just returned to the States and to the American Medical Business.
I was shocked, distressed, disgusted at what I read. Yet, as I knew many first year residents in hospitals at the same time I read this book, I knew how true it was.
I was thoroughly disgusted with the field that exploited its med students (and especially its residents and young physicians, at the great life-and-often-death expense of patients, just so hospitals and attending physicians can enrich themselves.
No wonder the author became a psychiatrist after writing this book.
Sad to say, much of what went on then still stands.
However, some limits on the number of hours residents can work have been placed, due to obvious patient safety.
Much as I love certain things about this country, out-of-control capitalism is not one of them.
And the medical business, like all other industries in this countries, is a prime example of out-of-control capitalism.
Great reading. And a must for patients. Patients should be as informed as possible about the medical industry and its doctors: what they do, what they don't do, what they can and cannot do, what they know and tell us they know.
I always empathize with residents who are over-worked and over-tired, and wonder how many of them survive those years.
 This book isn't only "set" in the 70's - it was written then! August 13, 2008
My first career was working in a county hospital as an administrative coordinator for a Family Practice Residency program and as the Credentialing/Privileging coordinator for all of the staff physicians there. What an eye-opener this book was for a then 20-something young woman fresh out of business school. My actual experiences never reached the base level that is described in this book but we were a small facility located in the San Francisco East Bay Area in the 'burbs.
That being said, I think that there is a lot of humor, entertainment and enlightenment value to the book for interns/residents and attendings and the general public who should understand that doctors are human beings. They are not "God-like" and they become just as "irreverent" within their professions as Policemen, Teachers....er...Politicians do.
I have read and re-read this book at least twice and I consider myself a fan of doctors in general.
A fun read. Enjoy.
fantastic July 27, 2008
definitely, the best best best book i have ever read! amazing medical humor and sad truth about medicine - i was laughing loud and some tears escaped too :)
im reading this book again, again and again - i can quote any time any line. i adore this book, as im medic.student.
Classic hospital satire July 20, 2008
I've read this book 2 1/2 times now. The first time I only got through half - I was a premed and being a liberal feminist I was offended by the treatment of women. The second time I read it all the way through - I was a first year med student and after ignoring the sexist stuff it was a very funny read - but not all of it was accessible to me with my limited medical knowledge at the time. The third read was recently as a 4th year student. Even more hilarious now that I've been through the experience of the wards. Highly recommended!
Indeed, a classic... July 2, 2008
I read this book years ago, but I still use references from it today with friends and medical colleagues. I even now have a faculty job at one of the referenced hallowed institutions. It's hilarious, focally outrageous, and somewhat self-serving, but it did have some salient, useful insight. Now I want to read it again.
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